Its surprising how many deployments I have seen that don’t monitor their SkypeLync environments. Its even more surprising how many monitor only the usual server type bits such as disk usage, processor, RAM utilization and services.

May I suggest that at the very least you monitor your environment by means of synthetic transaction.

Description

Test of SkypeLync modalities by utilizing Synthetic Transactions. Test results generate Event logs on the machine where the tool is being run, for easy identification by any monitoring platform.

All connectivity is over PSRemote Sessions to the Front End Pools. Automation is achieved by means of the schedule tab, this makes use of the Windows Task Scheduler.

What is a synthetic transaction?

Synthetic transactions are actions, run in real time, that are performed on monitored objects. In the case of LyncSkype for Business, synthetic transaction allow you to emulate actions such as sending an IM, making an outbound call, delivering a voicemail message, and so on.

So why do I need this tool?

Of course if you are a Powershell Guru and you have scripted your own Synthetic Transactions that great. However, this tool does more than simply run a bunch of synthetic transactions.

What else does it do?

The results of each synthetic transaction are recorded in the Event Log of the PC where the tool is run from.

Event log name where the results are recorded is separate from other event logs.

The Event ID’s represent both success and failure of tests with separate ID’s depending on the result.

Event ID’s also contain a brief description of the test being performed.

The tool also has a Schedule tab that allows you to setup a scheduled task that will run on a repetition interval of your choice.

This tool is NOT a replacement for the commercially available tools such as Nectar, EventZero, Unify², Prognosis or GSX. If you are after statistical data and history, triggered actions, dashboards, network performance, Session Border Controller monitoring or even QoS and network monitoring etc. then please do spend the cash and talk to these folks.

As I start thinking about the design of Skype for Business solutions it becomes apparent to me that its time for a new visio stencil. Having been a little reserved with the new images that were introduced in the Lync 2013 stencil I thought its time to embrace the new.

The official Office Viso Stencil published on 19/01/2015 can be found here.

Having taken a look at these I must say that these will need to grow on me. Not a big fan of the dark shadow looking images that represent the servers (yet!). Feels a bit gloomy to me, I need clean, open looking shapes.

Below is an extract of the my Skype for Business stencil transformation

So what shapes are in the stencil?

Skype for Business Servers, Roles and clients

Anywhere 365 Servers

Zeacom Servers

Sonus SBCs

Audiocodes SBCs

All the usual Infrastructure and Server roles

A bunch of Skype for Business\Lync related components

Here is a snippet of the shapes..

Of course I will update the library of shapes as and when needed. Happy to take on board suggestions.